Chapter 418: Reality

"Is it possible this world is real?" Li Huowang pondered these questions, his gaze fixed as he scanned everything around the hospital room.

He was a Heart-Seed, the Heart-Seed capable of helping Dan Yangzi achieve immortality! If he truly could unintentionally use the innate Primal Qi within him, conjuring gold would be effortless for him!

"But..." a trace of pain and hesitation appeared on Li Huowang's face. "Why now, of all times? I'm on the verge of grasping the North Wind, of breaking free from these illusions. Why precisely now..."

The conflict on Li Huowang's face intensified. At this moment, he was once again caught in a state of confusion. If these illusions could truly be real, then what was the point of all his arduous efforts and struggles during this time?

"What if this world is real?" This thought, like a parasitic worm, burrowed into Li Huowang's mind, churning his previously stable thoughts into turmoil.

Clenching his teeth, Li Huowang forcefully raised his head and slammed it against the wall, trying to use pain to dispel the unbearable feeling.

"No, that's not right! No!!"

"Son! What's wrong? Don't scare me!"

Sun Xiaoqin was terrified by Li Huowang's actions. She quickly put down the food container, reached out, and firmly embraced his head, stroking his short hair repeatedly.

Calmed by her touch, Li Huowang stopped moving and painfully closed his eyes.

He wasn't afraid of wasting his energy, nor of torture or death. What he feared was falling back into that chasm between reality and illusion; that feeling was truly unbearable.

If he could be 100% certain this world was real, it would be fine. But he still only had a conjecture, and no matter how true it seemed, there was always a possibility that a sliver of it was false.

"Is this possible? How could it be? I haven't even learned any cultivation techniques, so how could I so easily use innate Primal Qi?"

"And it doesn't make sense. If both worlds are real, why can I conjure gold here but not there? Do a Heart-Seed's abilities depend on the location?"

Li Huowang pondered this, then wide-eyed, glared furiously at the bedside table, trying to mentally conjure a large piece of gold. However, nothing changed. Next, he attempted to mentally move the bedside table, but it remained still.

Regardless of what Li Huowang was thinking, at that moment, veins bulged in his neck, and his bloodshot eyes glared furiously, making him look incredibly frightening.

"Son, please don't scare me. I really can't handle this. What's wrong with you?"

Sun Xiaoqin's choked voice made Li Huowang look up at her. He noticed the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. It had been a long time since he'd seen her, and he suddenly realized how much his mother had aged.

Even if she were an illusion, seeing her like this caused Li Huowang immense heartache.

"Mom, I'm fine. I really am," Li Huowang, his expression softening, reassured her softly. He knew he couldn't act on impulse or make baseless conjectures; doing so would only plunge him back into his previous quagmire of confusion.

Li Huowang, his mind growing increasingly chaotic, shook his head vigorously, then took a deep breath to steady himself.

If he suspected this world had a possibility of being real, he should instead seek concrete evidence to refute it, rather than getting lost in wild speculation. At least for now, the possibility of this world being real seemed low.

"Otherwise, how do I explain being able to bring anything from that world here, but not being able to take anything from here over there? It can't be that *that* world is the fake one, can it?"

Li Huowang leaned his head against Sun Xiaoqin's embrace, enjoying the rare peace. He had yearned for this feeling in his dreams back in that other world.

"Mom, how is Nana doing now?" Li Huowang suddenly asked.

"Nana? Nana's doing very well," Sun Xiaoqin's tone wavered slightly. Ignoring her own agitation, she pulled out a tissue from her bag and wiped his forehead.

Having dealt with the cunning individuals of the Disciples of Forgetfulness for so long, Li Huowang easily discerned the truth behind Sun Xiaoqin's words.

"Mom, what *really* happened to Nana?" As if sensing something, Li Huowang's mood grew heavy.

Sun Xiaoqin still tried to hide something, but Li Huowang easily saw through her attempts multiple times. Faced with his persistent questioning, she finally sighed helplessly.

"Don't blame her. She can't come recently. Nana is a good girl."

"I'm not blaming her. I just want to know where she is now."

"Nana dropped out of school. Her parents took her to see a doctor."

"What's wrong with her?" Li Huowang couldn't help but feel anxious.

"It's nothing serious, just a bit of depression. She's not eating or drinking much." Sun Xiaoqin picked up the food container again and resumed feeding Li Huowang.

Chewing the food without tasting it, Li Huowang's heart seemed to bleed at the thought of the girl who had always been by his side since childhood ending up in this state.

She had sacrificed so much for him, yet he couldn't repay her anything.

"It's okay, son. I heard it's a minor illness that can be cured with medicine. Don't blame yourself."

"Mom, can you unfasten me for a moment?" Li Huowang suddenly asked Sun Xiaoqin.

Sun Xiaoqin, holding the food container, showed a flicker of hesitation on her face, but then nodded firmly. "Okay! Being tied up like this every day must be stifling, right? It's good to move around."

With that, Sun Xiaoqin began to unfasten the straitjacket from Li Huowang.

Just a few movements in, a very nervous male voice immediately came from the surveillance camera in the upper-left corner of the room. "Hey! Auntie Sun, what are you doing?! Stop it!"

"My son's limbs are tied up; he's suffocating! Don't worry, I'm here! He's very well-behaved!" Sun Xiaoqin's actions immediately sped up.

"I'm coming right now! I'm coming right now!!" The surveillance went silent.

Just as Li Huowang regained his freedom, the ward door was violently pushed open with a "bang," and two tall, strong correctional officers, holding batons, rushed in.

However, facing Li Huowang, whose limb muscles had somewhat atrophied from long periods without exercise, they remained rooted at the doorway. After a difficult swallow, they nervously called for backup for Bed No. 1 on their walkie-talkie.

This person was known throughout the entire ward as a violent madman, exceptionally difficult to deal with.

Li Huowang ignored them at the doorway. Instead, he swung his sore, stiff limbs and walked to the window, which was enclosed by iron bars.

Li Huowang looked at the sliver of sky outside the window, grabbed the iron bars, and stretched out his hand towards it.

A streak of warm sunlight fell upon Li Huowang's excessively pale fingertips.

Feeling that touch of warmth, a yearning and longing arose in Li Huowang's heart. "How wonderful it would be if everything here were real..."